Apple Releases iOS 4.3 Beta — A few minutes ago Apple releases iOS 4.3 beta to developers. It's available now in the iOS Dev Center. The beta is available for iOS devices and the second generation Apple TV. Supported iOS mobile devices are iPad, iPhone 4 and 3GS, iPod touch 2nd, 3rd and 4th gen. Build number is 8F5148b.

Apple, Verizon Took Years to Clear IPhone Differences — Jan. 12 (Bloomberg) — Verizon Communications Inc. President Lowell McAdam works a few miles from the New York auditorium where he announced yesterday's deal to offer Apple Inc.'s iPhone. It took him four years to get there.

Verizon Ending Upgrade Discount Program Before iPhone Release — Verizon is ending its “New Every Two” discount program on January 16th, just three weeks before it releases the iPhone on its network, Smart Money reports. — The program gave subscribers up to $100 every two years towards a new phone upgrade.

Now available: Google Places with Hotpot for iPhone — We recently released Google Places with Hotpot in Google Maps for Android, and starting now, you can have that same great experience as an iPhone app. We realize the importance of finding places you'll love while you're out and about, no matter what mobile device you use.

Internet 2010 in numbers — What happened with the Internet in 2010? — How many websites were added? How many emails were sent? How many Internet users were there? This post will answer all of those questions and many, many more. If it's stats you want, you've come to the right place.

Cork'd: The Final Tasting Note — Today marks a bittersweet day for Cork'd as we announce it will wind down operations. After 1.5 years, CEO, Lindsay Ronga will move on to other opportunities. “Working with Gary and Jon marked a milestone in my career and I am so thankful for the opportunity.

Google Acquires eBook Technologies — Google has just acquired eBook Technologies, according to a notice that is currently appearing on the company's homepage. Google confirmed the acquisition, with a spokesperson giving us this statement: “We are happy to welcome eBook Technologies' team to Google.

HTML5: An antidote for Apple App Store-itis — Imitation not the sincerest form of flattery — Open...and Shut To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Or in the case of our idea-starved tech industry, an app store. — The tech world is increasingly awash in app stores.

Google Analytics targeted by data protection officials — German web companies could face hefty fines for using Google's online metrics service after data protection officials broke off talks with the US internet giant this week and threatened to pursue a precedent-setting court case.

Demand Media Clears SEC and Prices IPO — Demand Media is set to go public, according to an amended filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, with shares priced from $14 to $16 each. — The online publisher could sell up to 8.625 million shares and, if it prices at the top of the range …

Source - Sony to announce PSP2 in Tokyo on January 27 — VG247 has learnt that Sony it to hold a “business overview and strategy meeting” in Tokyo on January 27, and has been told that Sony will use the event as a reveal platform for PSP2. — Nothing is known of the meeting's content …

How Media Will Relate to Facebook in the Future — All media will be personalized in three to five years, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said in September. One of the ways that's likely to happen everywhere just appeared on the UK Independent. — The site announced last night that it now offers granular subscriptions by Facebook.

AMD CEO left partly over mobile strategy: source — (Reuters) - The departure of Advanced Micro Devices' chief executive followed months of concern among some board members that he wasn't doing enough to get the chip maker into the exploding mobile market, a company source said.